A Thematic Analysis of the Impact of MY MASCULINITY HELPS as a Tool for Sexual Violence Prevention

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of an educational documentary, MY MASCULINITY HELPS ( MMH), as a sexual violence prevention tool. MMH is a short (i.e., 31 min) educational documentary that explores the role of African American men and boys in the prevention of sexual violence. Participants ( N = 88) completed an electronic, qualitative questionnaire after viewing the documentary and data collected were analyzed and interpreted using thematic analysis. Findings from the study highlighted the power of documentary film to impact knowledge, beliefs, social norms related to masculinity and the role of African American men as allies, empowerment, and commitment to action. Implications of MMH as a prosocial bystander behavior intervention and educational tool are discussed.

Changes in Rape Myth Acceptance Among Undergraduates: 2010 to 2017

“…RMA among high-risk fraternity members did not change significantly. Engaging men as allies in sexual violence prevention, a strategy that encompasses the development of positive social norms around masculinity, gender, and violence (Basile et al, 2016; Grimmett, Conley, Foster, & Clark, 2021), may also be a useful resource for this purpose. Hillenbrand-Gunn, Heppner, Mauch, and Park (2010) found that RMA by high school males declined at posttest as well as a 4-week follow-up after participating in a three-session program based on the “men as allies” approach.…”

Educating High School Black Males From Within the #MeToo Movement

“…A small but growing research base is measuring the social impact of documentary storytelling (Chattoo & Das, 2014;Grimmett et al, 2018;King et al, 2018;Nisbet & Aufderheide, 2009;Parikh Foxx et al, 2020). In 2011, the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCCASA) was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women to engage Black men and boys in the prevention of sexual violence (Flood, 2011).…”

“…NCCASA then accepted a proposal from the first author to develop a short educational documentary to meet this objective. The result was My Masculinity Helps (MMH), a short film featuring Black males, designed to engage boys and men in the deconstruction of gender roles, masculinity, and power and in the prevention of sexual violence (Grimmett & Hambridge, 2013). The film specifically addresses rape myths and bystander intervention and demonstrates understanding and support for survivors of sexual violence.…”

“…MMH is s a counternarrative to often inaccurate and misleading portrayals of Black masculinity (Grimmett & Horne, 2015). A preliminary study on the film's impact showed that by watching the film, individuals gained significant insight about rape culture, rape myths, and bystander intervention (Grimmett et al, 2018). Lonsway and Fitzgerald (1994) defined rape myths as "attitudes and beliefs that are generally false but widely and persistently held, and that serve to deny and justify male sexual aggression against women" (p. 134).…”

“…Historically, such efforts tended to place the responsibility on girls, women, transgender, and gender nonconforming people to protect themselves, while men, boys, and society in general were passive or active enablers of sexual violence (Finkelhor et al, 1995;Hitchcock & Young, 1986;Hoxmeier et al, 2019;Kohl, 1993). More recently, prevention and response strategies are intentionally focusing on the role of men and boys in the prevention and response of sexual violence, as conveyed in the short educational documentary My Masculinity Helps (Elias-Lambert & Black, 2016;Grimmett & Hambridge, 2013;Katz, 1995;PettyJohn et al, 2019)…”